Because Coffee Isn’t Working Anymore
A practical guide to teaching your baby to sleep, from certified infant and toddler sleep consultant Cara Walker of Well Rested Mama
What you’ll get inside
Everything you need to teach your baby to sleep, laid out step by step.
The full sleep training method
Step by step: what a “level 10 cry” actually sounds like, how long to wait before a check-in at your baby’s age, and what to do once you’re in the room.
Wake windows & goal schedules
Wake windows by age, from newborn all the way to 4 years old, plus goal schedules from 4 months to 4 years. I did the math for you.
The Milk Guide
What a full feed looks like at each stage, how to space feeds out 15 to 30 minutes at a time, and my Milk Guide broken down by age.
The right sleep space
The four things that matter in your baby’s sleep space, including my hand-in-front-of-your-face darkness test and the exact thermostat range.
Realistic expectations
What night one really looks like, and exactly what to do when your baby gets worse during a check-in or has a false start after bedtime.
Naps, travel & sick days
Nap training once you’ve earned it, plus how to protect sleep through road trips, colds, teething, and whatever “leap” the internet says your baby is in.
All 14 chapters
Tap any chapter to see what’s inside.
01Because Survival Mode Is Not a Personality
Why prioritizing sleep isn’t selfish. When your baby sleeps well, their body shifts out of fight-or-flight and into the state that handles rest, digestion, and growth. You came here because you’re tired, but your little one gets even more out of this than you do. You’ll also learn what sleep training actually is, and why it’s nothing like our parents closing the door and coming back at sunrise.
02Understanding Your Tiny CEO
Your baby isn’t a “bad baby,” and your friend Allison didn’t get a “good” one. You’ll see how a rough day turns into a rough night, why the “witching hour” isn’t something you just have to live with, and the three things almost every fussy baby actually is: tired, overstimulated, and probably hungry.
03Setting the Scene for Sleep(unlike your living room at 7pm)
The four things that matter in your baby’s sleep space, including my hand-in-front-of-your-face darkness test and the exact thermostat range. You’ll also learn why the “sleeps anywhere” newborn phase ends around 7 to 8 weeks. And relax, your baby will still nap in the car and the stroller.
04Milk Drunk & Snack Fueled
The pediatrician visit that changed everything with my first baby, and how to tell whether your baby is eating or just snacking. You’ll get what a full feed looks like at each stage, how to space feeds out 15 to 30 minutes at a time if you can’t do it cold turkey, and my Milk Guide broken down by age. Breast or bottle doesn’t matter here.
05The Magic of Doing the Same Thing Every Day
The question I get more than any other is “Are we going to be tied to the house forever?” The answer is no. You’ll get the morning routine that tells your baby the day has started, and my most important daytime rule: you keep helping your baby nap exactly the way you do now. If they nap in your bed or you drive them around town for two hours, keep doing that. We only change the timing.
06Why Your Baby Wakes Up Right When You Sit Down
A minute-by-minute breakdown of the baby sleep cycle. You’ll learn the 10-minute window when you can transfer without waking them, and why waking up somewhere new makes them lose their tiny little marbles. (You’d lose it too if you fell asleep in your bed and woke up on your neighbor’s couch.)
07Wake Windows & Mental Breakdowns
Wake windows by age, from newborn all the way to 4 years old. You’ll also learn what the internet and the Huckleberry app won’t tell you: using the same wake window all day long is doing it wrong. You’ll get the rule for when a nap counts as restorative, what to do when one gets cut short, a step-by-step flowchart for a 4-month-old’s day, and goal schedules from 4 months to 4 years. If you weren’t in Math All-Stars, don’t panic, because I did the math for you.
08Bathtime Isn’t Because You Stink
I was sure Carter hated the bath, until I figured out I was putting him in cold water every single night. You’ll get the swaddle bathing instructions Jeff’s aunt mailed to me, including the exact water temperature and the one thing you always save for last.
09The Part You’ve Been Waiting For
The full sleep training method, step by step. You’ll learn what a “level 10 cry” actually sounds like, how long to wait before a check-in at your baby’s age, and what to do once you’re in the room (spoiler: you don’t pick them up). Each check-in shows your baby that you’re still there, even when they can’t see you, feel you, or touch you. You’ll also get how to soothe a baby who’s flat on their back, and how to sleep train when your baby shares your room.
10You Can Complain, but You Can’t Quit
The tough-love chapter, and the one I’d want you to reread at 9 p.m. on night one. Your baby is learning something new, and nobody learns something new without a fight. My husband taught our kids to ride bikes and swim with such consistency that they cried every day at 5 PM when they heard the garage door open. Now they love both. This is harder for you than it is for them, and sleep is a lot faster than swim lessons.
11Realistic Expectations
Your little one is going to cry, and you need to go in knowing that and ready to make the change anyway. You’ll learn what night one really looks like, why the crying gets shorter and your baby calms faster every night after, and exactly what to do when your baby gets worse during a check-in, won’t come down from a 10, calms down and then ramps right back up, or has a false start after bedtime.
12What, Like It’s Hard?
Nap training, once you’ve earned it. You’ll learn the two boxes you need to check before you start, how long it realistically takes, and my full permission to skip it if you don’t want to do it.
13A-a-aye, I’m on Vacation
Road trips, flights, weddings, and birthday parties. You’ll learn how to protect naps and feeds on the go, and how to take the baby from Aunt Allison for nap time with a smile, without leaving any room for her advice.
14I Can’t Go Out, I’m Sick
How to keep healthy sleep habits going through colds, teething, and whatever “leap” the internet says your baby is in this week. You’ll also get how to time medications around sleep, and my syringe trick for nighttime doses that won’t undo everything you’ve worked for.
Hi, I’m Cara
I’m Cara. I’m a former elementary school teacher, a mom, the founder of Well Rested Mama, and the host of the Unswaddled podcast. When I sleep trained my oldest, I had no guide and no coach. I started with naps, let him scream until the time was up, and basically did the whole thing backwards. It worked, but it was not pretty. He’s 11 now, he gets straight A’s, and he still snuggles me every chance he gets. So no, you are not going to ruin your baby. You can just do it a lot smarter than I did, and this guide shows you how.
Don’t just take my word for it
Here’s what parents had to say after their own sleep training journey with Well Rested Mama.
“I went from sleeping 3 hours a night to 9 hours a night!!!! For two weeks straight my 10 month old was experiencing “split nights” and it was tough on both of us. I reached out to Cara and it only took a few nights of gentle sleep training to help my baby sleep 12 hours a night! I went from feeding/rocking her to sleep every night to her putting herself to sleep. We are now doing nap training and it’s going great. I’d highly recommend Well Rested Mama! Thank you, Cara & Jenna!”— Madison C. · 10-month-old
“We struggled with our twins for the better part of a year with repeated night awakenings. Nothing that we tried seemed to work. We reached out to Cara and she created a specific plan based on their sleep needs. All aspects of the plan were laid out in detail, and she was there to guide us through it all. After 3 nights we couldn’t believe the difference we were seeing! Both kids were sleeping through the night! We are so thankful for the reassurance and guidance provided by Cara.”— Leigh H.
“I’d pay 3x what I did to get the quality sleep we are getting now! She was professional and prompt with communication to coach me through minor changes. Within 3 nights we had major changes, then in about 1 week we were getting 2 hour naps and 12 hours at night for our 22 month old. Our family dynamic is much more calm around sleep times and our little one is much happier with quality sleep.”— Rebecca P. · 22-month-old
It’s time to say goodbye to the restless nights
You’ve enjoyed them, and you’ve soaked it all in. Now it’s time to get your quiet evenings back, put the coffee down, and maybe pour that glass of Pinot you keep not getting to finish.